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Why Churched Kids Hate Church
The panic has been seeping in for a few years now. There are all sorts of statistics out there about “teens” leaving the church. Some say it starts around fifteen years of age. Others say 80% of the...
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Parents Matter
Through my years of serving youth ministry, I have been very blessed to have support from my students’ parents. Although there have been some ups and downs, I wouldn’t have been able to operate the...
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Together?
Together. What a powerful word. It’s been a part of my email signature for years for that very reason. Today I learned it was the title of a powerful video featuring Lebron James. I like how one...
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In Support of Under-promising and Over-delivering
Lebron It’s not a leadership principle most would subscribe to; in fact I’m not sure it’s a leadership principle at all….but it makes sense to me most of the time: Be confident enough to under-promise...
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2nd Annual Hairy Isn’t Scary Contest & SALE!
Welcome to the 2nd Annual Hairy Isn’t Scary Sale and Contest! It is that special month when razors become obsolete and hairiness reigns. Some people call it “No Shave November,” but in youth...
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The Soundtrack of Your Student Ministry
Some things just seem to go better with music. Youth group nights are one of them. I’ve watched games go from “awkward” to “amazing” once there was an appropriate soundtrack to complement the moment....
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Google Calendar Reinvented…
Alright Android Fanboys, “Inbox” a few days ago and now Google Calendar has a fresh look. A couple days ago, Google introduced a brand new Google Calendar app. I am always eager to use, test, and...
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Three Lies And A Truth (About Making Disciples)
It’s the buzz word around ministry these days. We move our students from large group time to small group time to discipleship. We want to see student’s grow in their relationship with the Lord and this...
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Sharing Hope, Illegally Speaking
If this law had been in effect twenty centuries ago, Jesus Christ could have faced at least 5000 counts. Here’e the story… apparently two pastors and a 90-year old man were charged with feeding the...
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Hell, Judgement, and Holy War
Well, if you work with college-age people (or most anyone that breathes), these are “hot” topics to discuss. But they cannot and must not be dodged. For any reason. Yet, I’ve found most leaders dodge...
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Watch Students Transform in Summer 2015
Our goal at Simply Youth Ministry and Group Mission Trips is to provide experiences that enable you as the youth leader to help teenagers grow in their relationship with Jesus. One of the most powerful...
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Cords and Cables SUBMIT!!!
I love inventions that make life easier. If you are laying gaff tape in your ministry on a regular basis this may be the tool you need. If you find value in this but it’s not in your budget try...
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Hairy Isn’t Scary: Week 1 Wrap-Up!
What’s up Hairy #YMNation?! The end of Week 1 in our 2nd Annual Hairy Isn’t Scary SALE & Contest (Click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) is nearing, so we thought we’d share some of...
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Hairy Isn’t Scary: Week 2 Challenge!
Hey Hairy #YMNation! Nice job last week sharing your stubble pictures with #fuzzyface! The fun continues this week with 2nd Annual Hairy Isn’t Scary Sale of up to 88% off on hundreds of youth...
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Faith Wrestling
I get to hang around a lot of different students from a variety of places because of the nature of what I “do.” They come from varying ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and from parents who go...
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Holy Movies!
Like movies? Which ones are you going to see with your students? Several years ago, I was inundated with mail and promotional materials telling me that every cool youth pastor would be taking their...
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Life. Lemons. Lemonade?
Been wondering lately about why some people seem to have a much better ability to handle adversity well. People who love Jesus, seem firmly rooted in faith, often have completely different reactions to...
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Real vs. Fake Relationships
We are living in a connection driven world. Every day it seems technology is advancing to help us better stay in touch with those we love. The upside of this is that those High School reunions are way...
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Fill It Up?
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him...
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Longevity In Youth Ministry GUARANTEED!
Everybody likes guarantees, and in youth ministry there are few. But if you are hoping to stay involved in youth ministry in a local church setting for the long haul, I know the secret, the silver...
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